


Kitten Sneezes

by tommino



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Team as Family, its just plain cute, lafluff, my brain writes klance by default but it can be as shippy or as gen as you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 18:38:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12018684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tommino/pseuds/tommino
Summary: Imagine: Keith’s kitten sneezes-The Red paladin wiggles his face desperately, trying to cram the sneeze back down to the depths. Instead, the feeling just crescendos, until…“ha-tchu!”There’s a beat of silence. Then Hunk and Lance are cooing into the mics with an infuriatingawwwwwww.





	Kitten Sneezes

**Author's Note:**

> I've been on the road and didn’t get the next chapter of Lockdown done in time, so please accept this fluff as an apology.

Spherical training droids dip and bob around the paladins, hovering just out of reach. Today the team stands back-to-back in a circle, practicing their ‘in-battle target communication’ at Allura’s firm suggestion.

 

One of the circling droids flashes red and Keith calls it.

 

“Pidge, up top!”

 

The Green paladin swings her bayard out toward the target, and the little robot drops to the ground with a crackle. “Nice,” she says over the comms. That’s one more down.

 

As he turns his attention back to the room, Keith feels a tickle start and scrunches up his nose.

 

“Top left, coming around toward Hunk,” Shiro announces.

 

“Roger that.” The Yellow paladin lets loose a few shots, and another buzzing little droid hits the deck.

 

The tickling won’t stop, and Keith can feel the stuffy sensation spread beneath the bridge of his nose. He wiggles his face desperately, trying to cram the sneeze back down to the depths. Instead, the feeling just crescendos, until…

 

“ha- _tchu!”_

 

There’s a beat of silence. Then Hunk and Lance are cooing into the mics with an infuriating _awwwwwww_.

 

“Pidgey, your sneezes are so cuuuuute,” the Blue paladin says. Keith can’t help the flush that starts in his cheeks.

 

“Uh… that was not me,” Pidge clarifies, still scanning the mass of droids. Hunk lets out a surprised “whaa?” and drifts to a stop.

 

“Besides,” the Green paladin continues, voice taking on an imperious tilt. “The Holts are a family of powerful, intimidating sneezers.”

 

Lance lowers his gun too, turning to examine the group. “But if it wasn’t you then…”

 

Keith tries weakly to get them back on track. “What’s the big deal, it’s a sneeze can we just-”

 

“That??” Lance says. “ _That_ was not a sneeze. Hunk my man, show em what a real warrior sounds like.”

 

Without a second of hesitation, Hunk winds up and explodes into the mic.

 

“UUAAAAH- **CHOO!** ”

 

“See? It’s thunderous. Imposing. Truly a masterpiece of a sneeze,” Lance laughs, tapping knuckles with his friend.

 

“Can you seriously do that on command?” Pidge asks in amazement. The droids circle around them, flashing lights ignored.

 

“Let’s focus guys,” Shiro suggests.

 

“Nooo nononono nope, somebody’s gotta fess up. Who was that?” Lance demands.

 

Silence.

 

“It was me,” Shiro says calmly. Keith has a moment to think of what a great, self-sacrificing, wonderful leader they have. “Now can we-”

 

“Nu-uh,” Pidge interrupts. “I’ve heard you before and that’s not even close. You sneeze like Coran.”

 

“Have you been cataloging our sneezes?” Lance whispers. “That’s weird, man.”

 

Coran chimes in next over the comms. “In Veruvian culture, a refined sneeze is a sign of wit and intelligence!”

 

Hunk turns up toward the observation deck. “Maybe it was the Princess?”

 

The tickle starts up again. Oh no.

 

Allura responds with an impressive effort at diplomacy, and an itch burns across Keith’s face as the sneeze fights to surface again. “As fascinating as that sound was, paladins, you really should turn your attention back to the training exer-”

 

“ha- _TCHU!”_

 

Keith freezes, lifting his head to see the rest of the team staring at him in shock.

 

“... holy crow,” Lance says, eyes growing wider in delight. Pidge and Hunk look like someone just offered them a bag of Christmas presents, and above them Allura lifts a hand over her mouth trying to cover her smile.

 

Keith thumps in head into his hands with a groan. He’s never going to hear the end of this, is he?

 

Exercise now completely forgotten, Hunk, Pidge, and Lance are laughing uncontrollably. Pidge mimics his sneeze in a higher pitch, a little “ _ke-chu!_ ” that sets them off howling again.

 

He looks to Shiro for backup, but the Black paladin just shrugs, a traitorous smile tugging insistently at his lips. “It is pretty cute.”

 

Keith feels his face burn. He is not cute!

 

“Oh no, it’s not cute,” Lance starts. “It’s quiznacking _adorable_. You sound like a kitten, oh my god.” He bursts into another round of giggles, and Keith feels ready to melt into his boots.

 

Hunk steps over to sling an arm across the Red paladin’s shoulder. “Don’t worry Keith, I can teach you the secret to a frightening sneeze. Soon you will sound as ferocious as your lion, I promise.”

 

Keith can’t help but crack a smile. “My sneeze sensei.”

 

That’s what makes Shiro throw his head back with laugh. Soon they’re all in stitches - Lance and Pidge competing to see who can make the shrillest, most absurd sneeze while Coran practices his refined Veruvian version from the booth. Keith's sides hurt from laughing by the time Allura attempts to rein them in.

 

Eventually they do get themselves under control. It’s not without a few false starts, whenever a paladin would snort and set off a chain reaction of giggling, but they manage to get back to practice again. The exercise starts from the top, blinking little droids whirring around them as the team calls out targets to each other. It seems like everything’s going smoothly once more.

 

But then.

 

“On your right, _kitten_.”

 

Lance’s tone is joking, but his lilting voice is enough to send a furious blush slamming across Keith’s cheeks. He stumbles and whips his head over to a grinning Lance, who winks when he sees the look on the Red paladin’s face.

 

Keith is left staring, wide-eyed and off-balance, as his teammate twirls away to fire at another target. _Did- did Lance just call him..._

 

The droid bumps into the right side of Keith’s helmet with an insulting beep.

**Author's Note:**

> This started as [a tumblr drabble in response to Redyarn’s super cute post ♥](https://tomminowrites.tumblr.com/post/164342046701/a-concept)


End file.
